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HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

STAFF REPORT

AGENDA

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TO: CASA GRANDE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION FROM: Laura Blakeman, City Planner MEETING DATE: December 18, 2019 SUBJECT: DSA-19-00114: Local Historic Landmark Sign Designation –

Johnston’s Grocery/Sofia’s Sign

REQUEST DSA-19-00114: Request by Greg Serrano to designate the Johnston’s Grocery/Sofia’s sign located at 301 N. Picacho Street as a Local Historic Sign Landmark

APPLICANT/OWNER INFORMATION

HISTORY

1907: According to the Arizona State Historic Property Inventory, the building was constructed (See Exhibit A).

1915: DSA-10-00150: The site was part of the original incorporation of the

City. 1960: Sign was installed on the property.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION Background According to the historic property inventory, the site has been the home of several different commercial land uses. The building was originally a grocery store, Johnston’s Grocery, (see Exhibit B) until 1932 and operated by J. G. Johnston and then Wong Hong Chin. From 1940 to 1955, the building was occupied by the city’s first do-it-

Applicant Owner Greg Serrano Same as applicant 1206 N. Olive Avenue Casa Grande, AZ 85122 P: 520-705-5779 Email: elgreg.serrano@gmail.com

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yourself laundry (Maytag). A catering service (Cynthia’s from 1958 to 1960) then Sofia’s Mexican Food restaurant, followed by Lupita’s Mexican Food restaurant. Currently, the building serves as a community event venue named the “Landmark Event Center”. The Sofia’s sign was installed around 1960 which was designed for the Sofia’s Kitchen Mexican Food Restaurant. The Sophia’s sign has been a symbolic and iconic sign associated with the local residents of Casa Grande. The sign is considered a neon/novelty sign that comprised of a neon fountain at the top followed by three oval boxes reading Tacos’, Tamales and Enchilada’s and an elongated rectangular box reading SOFIA’s.

According to the General Plan 2020, Policy C-7.2.1, the city shall acknowledge the importance of developing a strong base of community support for historic preservation efforts. It is the intent of the ordinance to provide a means to protect the cultural, economic, and general welfare of the public through the preservation and protection of buildings, structures, signs, areas of historic and cultural interest within the City of Casa Grande.

According to the ordinance definitions, a “Landmark” means a property, site, sign, structure, or object that is individually designated by the City Council to be worthy of rehabilitation, restoration and preservation because of its cultural, historic, architectural or archeological exceptional significance to the City.

Per the Historic Preservation Ordinance, 17.62.050A, the Commission may recommend to City Council that an individual property, site, sign, structure or object be designated as a Landmark if it:

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1. Possesses special character or historic or aesthetic interest or value as part of the cultural, political, economic or social history of the locality, region, state or nation; or

2. Is identified with historic personages; or

3. Embodies the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style; or

4. Is the work of a designer whose work has significantly influenced an age; or

5. Because of a unique location or singular physical characteristic, represents an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood; and

6. The owner of the property, site, sign, structure or object concurs with the

designation. According to the above criteria, the Sofia’s Sign falls under the criteria for landmark designation.

1. Possesses special character or historic or aesthetic interest or value as part

of the cultural, political, economic or social history of the locality, region, state or nation. The sign’s significance is tied to the Sofia’s Mexican Food Restaurant and the property. The sign is dated around 1960. The Sign has been located on the property for 59 years.

2. Is identified with historic personages; The sign is identified with the original restaurant (Sofia Espinoza) and Christine Burton who operated the restaurant until 1982 before it was sold.

3. Embodies the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style. Sofia’s sign is Neon/Novelty sign consisting of a triple post steel box sign with a neon fountain at the top and three oval boxes above an elongated rectangular box. The oval boxes originally were read as; Tacos (blue), Tamales (yellow) and Enchiladas (red/orange) with the rectangular box reading SOFIA’S (green). Not only does the age of the sign provide a significance, but the uniqueness of the sign’s design contributed to the recommendation that the sign be considered as an eligible sign landmark.

4. Is the work of a designer whose work has significantly influenced an age; or

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The sign was designed by Pete Guerrero of Guerrero-Lindsey Sign Company, who was Sofia’s relative.

5. Because of a unique location or singular physical characteristic, represents an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood; and The sign’s height (which was to drawn motorists attention along the highway back in the day) and today the unique shape draws your attention to it while driving in the downtown area. Being that this sign has been on the property for 59 years, the sign has become a unique feature of the property and the neighborhood.

6. The owner of the property, site, sign, structure or object concurs with the

designation. The owner, Greg Serrano, has given his support and signature for designation the sign as a local historic landmark designation.

Sign Landmarks Criteria: Over 40 years old Displays a unique or novelty design Displays good integrity where most the intrinsic elements of the design of the sign are present Contributes to context where sign enhances the environment or associated property/business in most cases the sign will be in its original location. Based on the criteria for a landmark designation, the Sofia’s sign meets all the criteria for local historic landmark designation.

Historic Preservation Code: According to the Historic Preservation Code, 17.62.010A, the code declares that “as a matter of public policy that the protection, enhancement and perpetuation of landmarks and historic districts is necessary to promote the economic, cultural, educational and general welfare of the public.” Staff’s Analysis: Staff is in support of designating the Sofia’s sign as a “local historic landmark”, based on the fact that it meets the above criteria for local historic landmark designation.

RECOMMENDED MOTION

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Staff recommends the Historic Preservation Commission forward a favorable recommendation for DSA-19-00114, to designate the “Sofia’s sign” as a local historic landmark.

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Exhibit A

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Exhibit B

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